UITS Research Technologies (RT) recently hosted its first-ever social event at the Indiana Memorial Union (IMU) in Bloomington campus on September 12. Bringing together RT staff, faculty, researchers, and other users of IU’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems, storage, and visualization resources, the event fostered an environment of collaboration, engagement, and informal dialogue. It was a great opportunity for those leveraging IU’s advanced cyberinfrastructure to come together, share experiences, explore ideas, and build relationships.
Matthew Link, Associate Vice President for Research Technologies, welcomed everyone warmly to the event. Highlighting the legacy of research computing at IU, he noted its proud history.
“Research computing has been a central point of pride for us and IU for 69 years. Next year will mark the 70th year of research computing at IU. In 1955 Dr. Marshall Wrubel became the first director of the IU Research Computing Center. He believed that IU should make our resources available to all students, faculty and staff at no additional cost. Today, we carry that same tradition,” said Link, reiterating a firm commitment to providing advanced cyberinfrastructure resources free of charge to students, faculty, and staff.
He also emphasized the various units within RT that support IU researchers, which were represented at the event by members from the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Research Partnerships, Research Software and Solutions, and the Visualization and Data Lab.
The event also provided a unique opportunity for users to put faces to the names of RT leaders, discuss their research needs, and seek advice.
Robert Henschel, Project Director of Research Engagement at RT, reflected on the success of the event, noting that other HPC centers host similar gatherings and that it was important that IU did something on similar lines.
“I think it’s important for IU folks to be aware of all the services that RT provides so that they can take advantage of them for their research. Especially since most of them are free of charge and are designed to be broadly usable across all fields of science,” said Henschel.
The evening was not just about social interaction but also about empowering researchers by deepening their understanding of available resources. Attendees like Professor Yong-Yeol “YY” Ahn, from the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, found the event particularly useful. Professor Ahn emphasized how the informal environment allowed him to connect with fellow researchers, staff, and RT leaders, strengthening collaborative networks. He also expressed his appreciation for RT resources such as Big Red 200 and Jetstream2, which are instrumental for computing-intensive projects in his research.
“Having an informal space to have such conversations will also help RT gather tangible insights into the research community’s needs, ensuring that its services evolve in line with emerging research challenges,” said Professor Ahn.
The success of this inaugural RT social event demonstrates the importance of fostering community interaction in research environments. By creating spaces where researchers, RT administrators, and staff can come together, RT is actively working to empower its research community. The feedback from attendees indicates a strong desire for more such events in the future – opportunities to keep building and nurturing robust research networks.
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